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KINGSTON — Preliminary work has commenced on the implementation of a major islandwide broadband network project, at a cost of just over $500 million, over a five-year period. Managing Director of the Universal Access Fund Company Limited (UAF), Hugh Cross tells JIS News that the project’s infrastructure, which is slated to be constructed over an 18-month period, was approved by...

KINGSTON — State Minister for Mining and Energy, Hon. Laurence Broderick, is urging students to help promote and support Government’s conservation thrust, by carrying out energy saving activities at home, particularly during the summer holidays. He was speaking at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica’s (PCJ) Energy Conservation Incentive Programme for Schools 2011 awards ceremony, at the Knutsford Court Hotel, New...

KINGSTON — Public and private sector energy stakeholders turned out Wednesday (June 22) for the second Jamaica Carbon Market workshop on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and energy efficiency, at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) Auditorium, New Kingston. The seminar, held under the theme, “Capacity Building for CDM Development, Carbon Training and New Approach to Energy Project Financing”, assisted...

KINGSTON — The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce launched its central online database for the Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (MSME) sector, the Jamaica Business Information System (JBIS), during a ceremony at the Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston , on Friday (June 24),. The database, formally launched by State Minister, Hon. Michael Stern, is a shared facility which enables...

KINGSTON — Government Senator, Dennis Meadows is recommending that the administration engage the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) in discussions, with a view to breaking the monopoly of the sole distributor of electricity. In a Private Member’s Motion tabled in the Senate yesterday June 10, Senator Meadows noted that the government should conduct a review of existing legislation, with a...

KINGSTON — A project to enhance the competitiveness of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), by increasing their access to Information Technology (IT) service, was launched on June 1, at the offices of Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), in New Kingston. Called the Centralised Information Technology System Project, the initiative is funded by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce and...

MANDEVILLE — The Mandeville Regional Hospital, in Manchester, should see annual energy savings of $2.2 million, as a result of a steam system energy efficiency improvement project, and rehabilitation of its solar water heating system, done by the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ). The steam system project will result in a reduction in fuel consumption by some 20,583 litres of...

MANDEVILLE — The Windsor Lodge Children's Home, in Manchester, has received four computers, a refrigerator, a television and other  supplies from Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO), which is based in the United States. The items were presented recently by Founder of COJO, Gary Williams, to Head of the home, Major Jacqueline Palmer. Mr. Williams explained that part of the mission...

KINGSTON — Persons living in North West St. Andrew will have another opportunity on Saturday, May 28, to exchange their high-energy consuming incandescent bulbs for low energy consuming fluorescent lamps at no charge to them, under the Cuba-Jamaica Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) project. Principal Director of   Policy in the Ministry of Energy and Mining, Oral Rainford told JIS News that...

KINGSTON — The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) in a release Wednesday (May 25) says that local electricity consumers will see lower light bills beginning June 1. The OUR said that the reduction follows its annual tariff adjustment exercise, and that it has reduced the amount of the system losses which may be passed on to customers.   The release...

OCHO RIOS — Scores of residents turned out at the Beecher Town All-Age School in Ocho Rios to support work at the facility, which was selected as the St. Ann parish project for Labour Day 2011. The scope of work, which involved the continuing construction of the school’s computer laboratory and cleaning up of the school yard, also saw the...

KINGSTON — Primary, secondary and tertiary student's islandwide have until midnight, Thursday, June 30, to register for the Blackberry Developers Competition, being spearheaded by the Ministry of Education and the Office of the Prime Minister.  Dubbed ‘App.ti.tude’, the competition, which was officially launched on May 17, at the Wyndham Hotel, New Kingston, aims to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurial activity among...